M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Lines of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh
5 The family of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son: he was actually the oldest, but when he dishonored his father’s bed his birthright[a] was given to the family of Joseph, Israel’s son, so Reuben isn’t listed as the oldest in the records. 2 Although Judah became the strongest among his brothers and a leader came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
3 The family of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 Joel’s family: his son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, 5 his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, 6 and his son Beerah, whom Assyria’s King Tilgath-pilneser carried away into exile. He was a chief of the Reubenites. 7 His relatives, by their[b] clans when their genealogy was listed in the records, were: Jeiel the first; Zechariah; 8 and Bela, Azaz’s son, Shema’s grandson, and Joel’s great-grandson.
They lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. 9 They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead. 10 In Saul’s days they waged war on the Hagrites, whom they defeated. So they lived in their tents throughout the entire region east of Gilead.
11 Gad’s family lived opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah: 12 Joel was the first, Shapham the second, and Janai governed[c] Bashan.
13 Their relatives according to their households: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all.
14 This was the family of Abihail son of Huri son of Jaroah son of Gilead son of Michael son of Jeshishai son of Jahdo son of Buz. 15 Ahi, Abdiel’s son and Guni’s grandson, was the head of their household.
16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and as far as the boundaries of all the open lands of Sharon. 17 They were all listed in the records in the days of Judah’s King Jotham and Israel’s King Jeroboam. 18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh were warriors who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war—44,760 ready for military service. 19 When they waged war on the Hagrites (the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites), 20 they received help against them. The Hagrites and all who were with them were handed over to them, because they cried out to God in battle. God granted their prayer because they trusted in him. 21 They seized their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep and goats, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. 22 Many died, because God fought the battle. They lived there in place of the inhabitants until the exile.
23 The members of half the tribe of Manasseh lived in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They were very numerous.
24 These were the heads of their households:
Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their households.
25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and faithlessly followed the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 As a result, Israel’s God stirred up the spirit of Assyria’s King Pul, otherwise known as Assyria’s King Tilgath-pilneser, who led the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.
High priests
6 [d] Levi’s family: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
2 Kohath’s family: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
3 Amram’s family: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
Aaron’s family: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas of Abishua, 5 Abishua of Bukki, Bukki of Uzzi, 6 Uzzi of Zerahiah, Zerahiah of Meraioth, 7 Meraioth of Amariah, Amariah of Ahitub, 8 Ahitub of Zadok, Zadok of Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz of Azariah, Azariah of Johanan, 10 and Johanan of Azariah. He was the one who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.
11 Azariah was the father of Amariah, Amariah of Ahitub, 12 Ahitub of Zadok, Zadok of Shallum, 13 Shallum of Hilkiah, Hilkiah of Azariah, 14 Azariah of Seraiah, and Seraiah of Jehozadak. 15 Jehozadak went away when the Lord caused Judah and Jerusalem to be exiled by Nebuchadnezzar.
Levites
16 [e] Levi’s family: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17 These are the names of Gershom’s family: Libni and Shimei.
18 Kohath’s family: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
19 Merari’s family: Mahli and Mushi.
These are the Levites’ clans according to their fathers:
20 Of Gershom: his son Libni, his son Jahath, his son Zimmah, 21 his son Joah, his son Iddo, his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.
22 Kohath’s family: his son Amminadab, his son Korah, his son Assir, 23 his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir, 24 his son Tahath, his son Uriel, his son Uzziah, and his son Shaul.
25 Elkanah’s family: Amasai and Ahimoth, 26 his son Elkanah,[f] his son Zophai, his son Nahath, 27 his son Eliab, his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.
28 Samuel’s family: the oldest Joel,[g] and the second Abijah.
29 Merari’s family: Mahli, his son Libni, his son Shimei, his son Uzzah, 30 his son Shimea, his son Haggiah, and his son Asaiah.
Levitical singers
31 David put the following in charge of the music in the Lord’s house after the chest was placed there. 32 They ministered with song before the dwelling of the meeting tent, until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. They carried out their usual duties. 33 Those who served and their families were:
Kohath’s family: Heman the singer, son of Joel son of Samuel 34 son of Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Eliel son of Toah 35 son of Zuph son of Elkanah son of Mahath son of Amasai 36 son of Elkanah son of Joel son of Azariah son of Zephaniah 37 son of Tahath son of Assir son of Ebiasaph son of Korah 38 son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi son of Israel. 39 His relative was Asaph, who stood on his right, that is, Asaph son of Berechiah son of Shimea 40 son of Michael son of Baaseiah son of Malchijah 41 son of Ethni son of Zerah son of Adaiah 42 son of Ethan son of Zimmah son of Shimei 43 son of Jahath son of Gershom son of Levi.
44 On the left were their relatives, Merari’s family: Ethan son of Kishi son of Abdi son of Malluch 45 son of Hashabiah son of Amaziah son of Hilkiah 46 son of Amzi son of Bani son of Shemer 47 son of Mahli son of Mushi son of Merari son of Levi. 48 Their relatives the Levites were dedicated to all the services of the dwelling for God’s house.
Priests from Aaron’s line
49 Aaron and his sons sacrificed on the altar for entirely burned offerings and on the altar for incense, doing all the work of the holiest place, to make reconciliation for Israel, just as Moses, God’s servant, had commanded.
50 This was Aaron’s family: his son Eleazar, his son Phinehas, his son Abishua, 51 his son Bukki, his son Uzzi, his son Zerahiah, 52 his son Meraioth, his son Amariah, his son Ahitub, 53 his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.
Levitical cities
54 These are the places they lived by their camps within their territory. To Aaron’s family from the Kohathite clan, as chosen by lot, 55 they gave Hebron in the land of Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the city’s fields and its settlements they gave to Caleb, Jephunneh’s son. 57 To Aaron’s family they gave the refuge cities: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 58 Hilen[h] with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 59 Ashan with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands,[i] and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands. 60 From Benjamin’s tribe: Gibeon with its pasturelands,[j] Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. They had thirteen towns within their clan.
61 The remaining Kohathites were given ten towns by lot from the clan of half the tribe of Manasseh. 62 The Gershomites received by lot according to their clans thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. 63 The Merarites received by lot according to their clans twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 In this way the Israelites gave the Levites the towns with their pasturelands. 65 They gave these towns, which they designated by name, by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
66 Some of the Kohathite clans had towns of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. 67 They gave them refuge cities: Shechem with its pasturelands in the Ephraimite highlands, Gezer with its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands; 70 and from half the tribe of Manasseh, Taanach[k] with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands, for the Kohathite clans who remained.
71 To the Gershomites from the clan of half the tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands; 72 from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands and Daberath with its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth with its pasturelands and Anem with its pasturelands; 74 from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, and 75 Helkath[l] with its pasturelands and Rehob with its pasturelands; 76 and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. 77 To the remaining Merarites from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pasturelands,[m] Rimmon[n] with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands, and Nahalal with its pasturelands;[o] 78 on the other side of the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the desert with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; 80 and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.
Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice
10 The Law is a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the real things themselves. It never can perfect the ones who are trying to draw near to God through the same sacrifices that are offered continually every year. 2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered? If the people carrying out their religious duties had been completely cleansed once, no one would have been aware of sin anymore. 3 Instead, these sacrifices are a reminder of sin every year, 4 because it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when he comes into the world he says,
You didn’t want a sacrifice or an offering,
but you prepared a body for me;
6 you weren’t pleased with entirely burned offerings or a sin offering.
7 So then I said,
“Look, I’ve come to do your will, God.
This has been written about me in the scroll.”[a]
8 He says above, You didn’t want and you weren’t pleased with a sacrifice or an offering or with entirely burned offerings or a purification offering,[b] which are offered because the Law requires them. 9 Then he said, Look, I’ve come to do your will.[c] He puts an end to the first to establish the second. 10 We have been made holy by God’s will through the offering of Jesus Christ’s body once for all.
11 Every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices over and over, sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right side of God. 13 Since then, he’s waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for his feet, 14 because he perfected the people who are being made holy with one offering for all time.
15 The Holy Spirit affirms this when saying,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them.
After these days, says the Lord,
I will place my laws in their hearts
and write them on their minds.
17 And I won’t remember their sins
and their lawless behavior anymore.[d]
18 When there is forgiveness for these things, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Second summary of the message
19 Brothers and sisters, we have confidence that we can enter the holy of holies by means of Jesus’ blood, 20 through a new and living way that he opened up for us through the curtain, which is his body, 21 and we have a great high priest over God’s house.
22 Therefore, let’s draw near with a genuine heart with the certainty that our faith gives us, since our hearts are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies are washed with pure water.
23 Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable.
24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.
Judgment for intentional sin
26 If we make the decision to sin after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there isn’t a sacrifice for sins left any longer. 27 There’s only a scary expectation of judgment and of a burning fire that’s going to devour God’s opponents. 28 When someone rejected the Law from Moses, they were put to death without mercy on the basis of the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think is deserved by the person who walks all over God’s Son, who acts as if the blood of the covenant that made us holy is just ordinary blood, and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 We know the one who said,
Judgment is mine; I will pay people back.[e]
And he also said,
The Lord will judge his people.[f]
31 It’s scary to fall into the hands of the living God!
Confidence and faith to endure
32 But remember the earlier days, after you saw the light. You stood your ground while you were suffering from an enormous amount of pressure. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to insults and abuse in public. Other times you became partners with those who were treated that way. 34 You even showed sympathy toward people in prison and accepted the confiscation of your possessions with joy, since you knew that you had better and lasting possessions. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence—it brings a great reward. 36 You need to endure so that you can receive the promises after you do God’s will.
37 In a little while longer,
the one who is coming will come and won’t delay;
38 but my righteous one will live by faith,
and my whole being won’t be pleased with anyone who shrinks back.[g]
39 But we aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved.
Judgment on Israel’s elite
4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on Mount Samaria,
who cheat the weak,
who crush the needy,
who say to their husbands, “Bring drinks, so we can get drunk!”
2 The Lord God has solemnly promised by his holiness:
The days are surely coming upon you,
when they will take you away with hooks,
even the last one of you with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through the broken wall,
each one after another;
and you will be flung out into Harmon,
says the Lord.
A divine taunt
4 Come to Bethel—and commit a crime;
multiply crimes at Gilgal.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tenth-part gifts every three days.
5 Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice of leavened bread,
and publicize your gifts to the Lord;
for so you love to do, people of Israel!
says the Lord God.
Israel’s stubbornness
6 I have sent a famine in all your cities,
and not provided enough bread in all your places,
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
7 I also withheld rain from you
when there were still three months to the harvest.
I allowed rain to fall on one city,
no rain to fall on another city.
One field was rained on,
and the field dried up where it didn’t rain.
8 So two or three thirsty towns went to one city to drink water, and weren’t satisfied;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
9 I struck you with disease and mildew.
I destroyed your gardens and your vineyards.
The locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
10 I sent a plague against you like the one in Egypt.
I killed your young men with the sword.
I carried away your horses.
I made the stink of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
11 I destroyed some of you,
as when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning coal plucked out of the fire;
yet you didn’t return to me,
says the Lord.
12 Truly, Israel,
I will act in this way toward you;
therefore, I will do this to you.
Prepare to meet your God, Israel!
13 The one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
makes known his thoughts to humankind,
makes the morning darkness,
and moves over the heights of the earth—
the Lord, the God of heavenly forces is his name!
Psalm 148
148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from heaven!
Praise God on the heights!
2 Praise God, all of you who are his messengers!
Praise God, all of you who comprise his heavenly forces!
3 Sun and moon, praise God!
All of you bright stars, praise God!
4 You highest heaven, praise God!
Do the same, you waters that are above the sky!
5 Let all of these praise the Lord’s name
because God gave the command and they were created!
6 God set them in place always and forever.
God made a law that will not be broken.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all you ocean depths!
8 Do the same, fire and hail, snow and smoke,
stormy wind that does what God says!
9 Do the same, you mountains, every single hill,
fruit trees, and every single cedar!
10 Do the same, you animals—wild or tame—
you creatures that creep along and you birds that fly!
11 Do the same, you kings of the earth and every single person,
you princes and every single ruler on earth!
12 Do the same, you young men—young women too!—
you who are old together with you who are young!
13 Let all of these praise the Lord’s name
because only God’s name is high over all.
Only God’s majesty is over earth and heaven.
14 God raised the strength[a] of his people,
the praise of all his faithful ones—
that’s the Israelites,
the people who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 149
149 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing God’s praise in the assembly of the faithful!
2 Let Israel celebrate its maker;
let Zion’s children rejoice in their king!
3 Let them praise God’s name with dance;
let them sing God’s praise with the drum and lyre!
4 Because the Lord is pleased with his people,
God will beautify the poor with saving help.
5 Let the faithful celebrate with glory;
let them shout for joy on their beds.[b]
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to get revenge against the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
8 binding their rulers in chains
and their officials in iron shackles,
9 achieving the justice
written against them.
That will be an honor for all God’s faithful people.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150
150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary!
Praise God in his fortress, the sky!
2 Praise God in his mighty acts!
Praise God as suits his incredible greatness!
3 Praise God with the blast of the ram’s horn!
Praise God with lute and lyre!
4 Praise God with drum and dance!
Praise God with strings and pipe!
5 Praise God with loud cymbals!
Praise God with clashing cymbals!
6 Let every living thing praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible